Picture of the Day

Gates' budget

An article in the WaPo on Gates' proposed budget, program reviews, and some of the anticipated cuts. (An 4% overall budget increase.) The story is that Gates and the military were asking for alot more than that, and are now being forced to find cuts to hit their priorities.

The biggest proposed increases have to do with overseas stationing and raising the inventory of current production equipment.

The cuts sound like they're coming from "future development" programs with the biggest in that "Future Combat Systems" boondoggle (that Rumsfeld championed) that no one has had the courage to touch because so much has been spent on it so far.

(It is notable that Gates didn't go to the NATO 60th anniversary. This story says he stayed home to navigate the politics of this budget.)

Another US drone attack in Pakistan

Another US drone attack in Pakistan, 13 dead. They're coming 3 or 4 a month now. I sure hope we're getting value, because we're only going to get so many of these before Pakistani pressure shuts them down.

Budget bits - Pelosi is good at her job

It has alot to do with the size of the majority, but still, "It was the first time in a dozen years that a budget had received more than 230 votes."

And, More House Republicans voted against their alternative (token) budget than Dems voted against Obama's real budget.

(Also in the Senate's version, a bipartisan amendment "that would raise the estate tax exemption by $1.5 million, to a total of $5 million, and reduce the tax’s maximum rate by 10 percentage points, to 35 percent." (I'd be curious how that comes out of committee.))

Thursday, April 02, 2009

Picture of the Day

(President Barack Obama (L), Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi (C) and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev pose for a family photo during the G20 summit at the ExCel centre, in east London. (AFP))

(YouTube) David Letterman slams the GOP. ("Object of ridicule" is a hard place to rebuild from.)

And, (CNN) Many Republicans have been cheering/highlighting European criticism of Obama (funny that they like the Euros now,) but that's also stuck those anti-Obamaites on the side of the Euros whose main objections are that Obama is not regulating enough or fast enough. (So, Republicans for regulation if it's against Obama?)

Leapfrogging

The Chinese government makes a major commitment to try to jump into the lead on electric cars. It's not fully clear whether this will work because China lags in more than engines, but the commitment is big, near term, and will carry the reputation of the party's leadership, so they are going to put a whole lot into getting there.

Related: (Reuters) "General Motors Corp (GM.N) has asked for $2.6 billion of low interest government loans to support the development of three new hybrid vehicles..."

Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Political bits

(CNN) Carly Fiorina is talking about taking on Barbara Boxer for Senate. (Meg Whitman for Gov. Fiorina for Senate. The McCain campaign was good for them.)

And, (Bloomberg) Chances are that the now embattled Chris Dodd is probably sorry he spent his reelection warchest on that ill advised presidential run. (And it's not like he can go back to his banking donors for a refill right now.)

Tuesday, March 31, 2009

Senator Franken

It's apparent that Coleman will keep appealing as long as the climate allows, so, please, Minnesota centrists and establishment figures, isn't it about time to start shaming Coleman into ending this thing?

George Bush's complete disappearance has been the best decision he's ever made. (Roughly 70% blame the Bush administration on the economy, yet, within the populist outrage, his name doesn't get mentioned much anymore.)

Save us, Virginia.

Monday, March 30, 2009

Is this a fight they want?

The RNC Convention Committee from 2008 is in a legal dispute with the company of a longtime fundraiser and fixer. Nothing really scandalous in the case, just a dispute about payment, but, notably, this is a guy whose done some borderline work for the party before, "provided a cheap-rental apartment for former Sen. Norm Coleman and bought the pricey clothes used by Sarah Palin during the '08 campaign."

I can't imagine someone that inside is going to crack and tell all, but it does feel like he pointed the HuffPo to a case that's been active since January and made sure they mentioned Palin and Coleman's problems.

What is interesting is that Harry Reid decided to make that offer/those discussions public. This is sure to cause some difficulty when they're courting Specter for his vote, but it also completely kneecaps Specter in his very tough reelection primary fight. ("My opponent is so liberal that the Dems wanted him....")

Picture of the Day

Five months ago, the critics said, "Oh no... If Obama picks Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State there will be chaos! She'll be sucking up all the headlines and running rogue on policy..... and Bill! and Bill!"

The first significant "Awakening" conflict in Iraq

It's long been the worry that the Iraqi Shia government would not embrace the Sunni militias created and bought off by the US leading to some return of sectarian violence. On a very small scale, this seems to be happening in Baghdad's Fadhil neighborhood where the Shia government (backed by US forces) has arrested the local "awakening" Sunni leader, and, after some armed Sunni resistance, are now ordering the local Sunnis to disarm.

The geography is important. The Shia seem to be okay with letting the Sunnis maintain themselves out in the Sunni dominated west, but this is in the heart of Baghdad, faultline for sectarian strife. Also, being in Baghdad, this has very high visibility which is hastening the erosion of countrywide Sunni trust.

Two on torture

A Spanish court is beginning an inquiry against 6 Bush era officials who wrote created the legal basis for torture. (Gonzales, Yoo, Feith.)

And, a WaPo frontpager cites sources who say that the torture of Abu Zubaida, once called "Al Qaeda's chief of operations" by Bush, yielded nothing but false leads. Zubaida was the first one subjected to torture.

About This Blog

This is not the America I was brought up to believe in.
This blog seeks to highlight abuse of power, deception, corruption, and just plain bad ideas in government and corporations.
Updated several times a day.